Vinku's recipes

Simple More kuzhambu (no coconut)

Method 1: Heat oil.  Add mustard, cumin seeds, methi seeds, hing, grated ginger, slit green chilli, curry leaves and chopped coriander.  Then add turmeric powder.  Once it cools, add buttermilk/yogurt+water and salt.  For this, accompaniment has to be usli.

Method 2 (for two people):  Soak 1 tsp each of channa dal and toor dal for 30 mins.  Grind with 1/2 tsp each of coriander and cumin seeds, ginger and green chilli.  Heat oil.  Mustard, cumin, methi seeds, hing, turmeric pwdr, curry leaves, chopped coriander.  Add turmeric powder, add the paste and saute in oil for a couple of mins.  Then, add water and salt and boil for 2-3 minutes.  Turn off the heat and add yogurt.

Masala oats

Precook steel cut oats.  Heat oil, burst mustard, urad dal, hing, frozen mixed veggies (optional:can add copped onions).  Once they cook, add 1/2 chopped tomato.  Then, add turmeric powder, cooked oats and 1/4 tsp tamarind paste, 1 1/2 tsps vangi bath pwdr.  Cook for a few minutes.  Garnish with grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves.

Rava dosa

Equal quantities of wheat flour, rava and rice flour.  Can use cream of wheat for rava.

 Week 22 - Cocoa muffins

Vinku's upma

Fry cashews separately.  Keep aside.  Heat oil, burst mustard.  Add urad dal, slit green chilli, ginger, curry leaves.  Add hing and lots of tomatoes (3 tomatoes for one cup).  Once tomatoes are cooked, add 1 cup of rava.  Saute for a bit.  For the liquid, the ratio is 1 rava  : 2 liquid.  For the liquid, half cup buttermilk with juice of 1/2 lime, and the rest water.  Add salt.  Mix, cover and cook till done.  At the end, add cashews and 1/2 tsp ghee.  (Note:  the cup measure used here is a rice cup).

Upma Kozhukattai with Sambar

When I told K I was making upma kozhukattai for dinner he was confused. Kozhukattai, to him, means the sweet South Indian dish that is filled with coconut and jaggery. Upma is a dish made with rawa and is usually had for breakfast. Upma kozhukattai is steamed rice flour balls and can be served with chutney or sambar. Traditionally, raw rice is soaked, dried and powdered and used for making these kozhukattais. But there is an easier method for making this dish for lazy people like me. I got this recipe from my mom who makes it for breakfast once in a way.

Upma Kozhukattai

 
2 cups idli rawa
1 tbsp bengal gram dal
1 tbsp toovar dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 green chili
 Pinch of asafoetida
1 sprig curry leaves

Soak bengal gram dal and toovar dal in water for 1/2 hour. Drain water, add green chili and grind coarsely. Keep aside. Heat oil in a large kadai. Add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add asafoetida and curry leaves. To this, add 2 1/2 cups water (you might need to add more water) and salt and bring it to a boil. Keep the flame on sim, and add the ground mixture and the idli rawa slowly, constantly stirring. Keep stirring till all water is absorbed and the resulting mixture does not stick to your fingers, about 5 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Take big handfuls and shape it into ovals. You will get about 16 kozhukattais. Steam for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

For the sambar

I made mixed vegetable sambar to go with the kozhukattai. I am not giving the recipe here but just wanted to share couple of tips with you. When pressure cooking the dal, cut a  tomato into half and add to the dal. Later, peel the skin, mash the tomato and add to the sambar. The sambar comes out thicker this way. Also, add small piece of jaggery to the sambar when adding tamarind.

Healthy Pancakes

I got this wonderful and easy recipe for pancakes from my sister. Very convenient as you can make the dry mix beforehand and store in an airtight container. Both the flour and dried milk add natural sweetness. The pancakes came out soft and fluffy and were a big hit with K and D.

Whole-wheat pancake mix (Makes 3 cups dry mix, or enough to make 20 pancakes)















1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup nonfat dry milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

In a large bowl combine the whole-wheat and all-purpose flours, dry milk, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the cinnamon, if you like. Store in an airtight container.

Whole-wheat pancakes (Makes 10)

1 1/2 cups pancake mix (see recipe)
1 cup water
1 egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, or more if needed

Maple syrup, confectioners’ sugar, or preserves (for serving)

In a large bowl, combine the pancake mix, water, egg, oil, and vanilla. Stir well. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter. When it begins to bubble, use a 1/4-cup measure to ladle 3 mounds of batter in the pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until the undersides are brown. Flip the pancakes over and cook an additional 1 minute. Transfer pancakes to a warm plate. Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter to the pan when necessary. Stack the pancakes and sprinkle with syrup or confectioners’ sugar, or add a spoonful of preserves.